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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · rush · bark · game · present · craft

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — letters
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. present — there
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com